Adjustable sash-balance.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

E. M. EBB.

ADJUSTABLE SASH BALANCE.

APPLICATION TILED DE(].26,1905

barren s'rarns PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND M. ERB, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT M. DIXON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

ADJUSTABLE SASH- BALANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed December 26, 1905. Serial No. 293,239.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDMUND M. ERB, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ad justable Sash-Balances, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which. it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates, broadly, to sashbalances; but more particularly it concerns improvements in devices of this character whereby the supporting power thereof may be easily varied and adjusted to any desired degree of nicety.

Heretofore much difliculty has been experienced in setting up sash-balances, which elastically carry a sash through the resilienc T of suitable springs, owing to the very consicferable tension given such springs in order to overcome the weight of the supported sash. As will be readily comprehended, to make the desired connections between a sash and the balance in the presence of this high tension required no little skill on the part of the workman, and notwithstanding the exercise of every care the connecting-strap would frequently slip from the fingers when wholly or partially withdrawn, thereby occasioning great annoyance and not infrequently to the serious damage of the balance.

Practical usage has clearly demonstrated the advisability, if not the absolute necessity, of varying from time to time the pull on the sash-supporting cords in order to meet the changes in the friction between the sash and the window-guides, as well as to restore springs which have become weakened in use to their original tension.

This invention accordingly has in view, among other objects, certain features of adjustment for sash-balances, whereby the re siliency of the sash-supportin g means may be varied to any extent desired, either preliminarily to the setting up of the balance or subsequently, as occasion. may make requisite.

Another object of this invention is to produce a sash-balance which will consist of the least number of parts consonant with an effective operation and use of the structure as an entirety, and it furthermore seeks to so combine a convenient spring adjustment with an improved type of balance that the resultant combination is well adapted for being made at a minimum of cost.

Another object residing within the contemplation of this invention is to realize a neat and. compact organism. adapted for being positioned in a window-casing, such as employed in railroad-cars and other like units of transportation, so as to be concealed from view for all practical purposes and when so placed affording facilities whereby the sashsupporting tension may be readily adjusted by means of a suitable wrench. provided for such purpose.

Other objects and advantages will be in part obvious and in part pointed out herein after.

With these and other ends in view my invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts, and arrangement of elements hereinafter more ex plicitly set forth as an exemplification of the underlying principles involved in the invention. That the same may be more fully understood and made comprehensible to others skilled in its relating arts, drawings in detail of an illustrative embodiment have been appended as a part of this specification, and while the underlying principles of the invention. may be otherwise applied by various modifications falling within the scope of the claims the herein-disclosed form is that which I ordinarily prefer to employ in practice and regard as a substantial improvement over the many implied and obvious variations of the same.

Now upon referring to such drawings by means of reference-letters it will be noted. that like characters refer to corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a form employing a worm and wheel meshing in right-handed threads, being broken away to more clearly show certain details of the invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken through line A B of Fig. 1, showing other features of the construction. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the worm and wheel meshing in left-handed threads reversibly positioned and otherwise distinguished over the preceding form.

This invention proposes any suitable means for operatively connecting the balance to a sash supported thereby. The illustrative embodiment here shown preferably pro vides a thin flexible band of metal, P, though chains or cords maybe resorted to, if desired, which band will ordinarily be provided at its lower end with a link Q, adapting it for being detachably secured to a sash, and at its up per end the connecting-band is carried by the elastic member of the sash member. A convenient construction for taking up the play of such band while maintaining the desired ten sion in the same comprises a hollow drum C, having a smooth cylindrical periphery 1, around which rides the band or' strap P, which is suitably attached thereto, as by means of a stud provided for the purpose. It is preferable to have such means of attach ment adapted to be easily disconnected, so that part may be replaced when damaged or worn. Such drum is revolubly mounted within a casing, a compact arrangement of parts consisting of a journal or spindle G, centrally protruding from said drum, which journal interiorly interfits with a hollow or tubular stud F, which is preferably integral with the casing member A and constitutes a journal-bearing for said drum. Such casing A may open to one side to facilitate access to the balance parts, a cap D normally closing such opening, and an end opening, through which the drum periphery may slightly protrude, as shown in Fig. 1, in order that the strap P may have a free exit, should also be provided.

To balance the drum against undue yield under the weight of the sash supported thereby, an elastic member, such as the spiral spring L, is so affixed thereto that the tension of the spring will oppose the movement of such drum induced by the pull of the sash. To this end spring L winds within the drum and is attached thereto at one end and at the other to a suitable means provided for varying the resiliency of such spring to the desired degree. Preferably I employ for this pur pose a worm-wheel B, which is positioned on the aforesaid hollow stud F within a suitablyshaped dome N, projecting from the face of the casing, as shown more clearly by Fig. 2. The hub of such worm-wheel is extended as a sleeve H into the encircling spring L, which is affixed therto by means of a suitable hook or stud K. It will be seen that this bearing arrangement is exceedingly compact and simple and well adapted to meet the requirements of the invention. The side plate or cap D is suitably affixed to the aforesaid casing A and serves to keep the drum 0 and other features revolution is accomplished through the instrumentality of a revoluble worm M in mesh with said wheel B. Such worm is mounted in the dome N in any desired manner, it being furnished with suitable thrust-bearings in order that it may not be translated under the tension of the spring. In the form shown in Fig. 1 the worm is located on that side of the wheel adjacent the sash and is provided with a left-handed screw, the thrust taking place in a downward direction and being resisted by a suitable collar R but in some instances I may locate the worm on the opposite side of the worm-wheel, as shown by Fig. 3, in which case the thrust will take place in an upward direction and be received by the end of the worm-shaft in a suitable bearing consisting of a recess S. In this modification the worm will conveniently be provided with a right-handed thread instead of the left-handed thread, as shown on Fig. 1. The latter construction is for some purposes more desirable than the former, inasmuch as it possesses greater simplicity. That the worm may be easily actuated it is extended through the dome N as a stem E and is provided at its end with a suitable head O, which is squared or otherwise shaped into conformitywith an actuating-wrench of proper length. A bearing T may also be provided for the purpose of steadying the stem E and more securely positioning the same.

It will be noted that the adjusting means hereinbefore disclosed possesses not only great simplicity and compactness, but also that it is readily capable of being manually actuated in either direction to increase or lessen the resiliency of the spiralspring within the drum and that in all possible positions it is capable of effectively resisting the reflex action of such spring without being subject to change of position thereby. The use of ratchet or other corresponding mechanism which would otherwise be necessitated for this purpose is entirely obviated, and the tension of the spring may be adjusted with great ease to any desired degree of refinement by means of the same.

Since many changes which from a cursory inspection might appear to widely differ from this invention could be made in the above construction and many embodiments thereof might be made without departing either from the scope or the spirit thereof, I propose that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I accordingly claim the following:

1. In a sash-balance, arevoluble drum hav ing a journal and provided with a flexible connection adapted for being attached to a sash, a spring affixed to said drum within the same for yieldably restraining the revolutions thereof, whereby the sash is elastically supported, a wheel aflixed to said spring, a suitable worm for revolubly ositioning said wheel to vary the elasticity o said spring and an incasing shell having a stem provided with an orifice for receiving said journal, said stem providing a journal for said wheel.

2. In a sash-balance, a drum, a flexible connection attached thereto, and peripherally riding thereon and adapted for being detachably secured to a sash, a spiral spring attached to said drum therewithin to yieldably restrain the movement thereof whereby the sash is elastically supported, a sleeve fixed to said spring and peripherally provided with teeth, a worm revolubly engaged therewith but restrained against displacement and extending exteriorly of a casing into a head adapted for being engaged by a suitable actuating-wrench, and a suitable casing for in.- closing said parts and having a tubular j ournal whereby said drum and said sleeve may be independently carried.

3. In a sash-balance, in combination, a revoluble drum having a journal and provided with a flexible connection adapted for being connected with a sash, a s ring aflixed to said drum within the same tor yieldably restraining the revolution thereof, whereby said sash is elastically supported, a sleeve attached to said spring and adapted to be revolved to tension the same, means for 1naintaining said spring in any desired adjustment, and a member provided interiorly with a bearing for the journal of said drum and exteriorly with a bearing for said sleeve.

4. In a sash-balance, in combination, a drum having an integral journal, a connection aflixed exteriorly to said drum and adapted for being attached to a sash, a-spring within said drum having its outer end ailixed thereto, a worm-wheel provided with a sleeve to which the inner end of said spring is affixed, a worm for adjusting said wheel and having thrust-bearings intermediate its ends, said worm extending beyond said thrustbearings and having its end shaped for engagement by a wrench, and a casing for inclosing said arts provided with an integral hollow mom er interiorly of which the journal of said drum is journaled, and exteriorly with a bearing for the sleeve of said wormwheel, the extension of said worin extending Without said casing, whereby it is easily accessible.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND M. ERB.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR G. PREVIN, R. F. MARTIN. 

